“Am I helping?”
Maddie gave a half smile as they stopped at a metal door that presumably led into the building from the rooftop.
“Yes. Things have constantly gone wrong lately. We need all the magic we can get and you, Aisha, have a lot of untapped power. Also, if you stop and feel, you should be able to sense Deo. We need you to lead us to him. Now ladies, let’s pull up our big girl panties and go kick some demon ass,” Maddie said.
Lilly held a hand up to the door handle. The door wasn’t budging, but maybe they hadn’t expected it to? Lilly’s hand glowed brighter and brighter until Aisha had to look away.
She lost focus of what was going on around her as her vision shifted between the normal and this demon sight.
With her eyes closed though, Deo’s thoughts flashed through her head and she finally understood what he saw. Darkness swirled. Walls moved. Her senses jumbled, but only because she tried to see things the way a human would.
Deo?
It was him. The question was, would he answer her? He was alive, but she could sense him growing weaker. What exactly was he fighting? Nothing made sense, not as she was seeing it.
“Come on,” Maddie said, pulling Aisha along.
“What direction?” asked one dragon.
A moment passed until she realized all eyes were on her.
Aisha? I can sense you. Is it really you?
She locked onto his voice, using something new within her to understand where he was inside. Where was he?
It’s really me. Where are you?
There was nothing for a few seconds, but she focused on the energy from him.
“Down. He’s somewhere beneath us. I can’t tell exactly. There’s something down there.”
A bright light lit up next to her and she turned to see Lilly glowing like a lantern.
“What, what is she doing?”
Maddie shrugged. “Dunno. But it’s probably what she was designed to do. Let’s go.”
What the? Okay. Fine, she would follow, why? Because Deo was her life and he was in danger.
There was no quick descent into the bowels of the unknown. Carefully navigating the rusted stairwell, they made it down. Lilly led the way with everyone following. For being the shy, quiet one back at the ship, she seemed fearless. Aisha almost envied her confidence and her ability to be useful.
Pausing at the door marked with a large two on it, she studied the rust and chipped paint spotted metal.
“Wave your finger and do that thing you do,” said Maddie.
Turning her attention away from the door, she realized Maddie was talking to her.
“What?”
Shaking her head, she shook their connected hands.
“That thing you can do with memories. Do that, but project it on the other side of the door. Do you need a memory, or can you pick up some residual from this building?”
Shrugging she held up her free hand and envisioned the same spell she’d done earlier waving her hand around the space and then as instinct took over, she pushed her palm out as if directing the spell where to go.
“Did it work?” some male asked. She didn’t know who.
Deo. Hold on. We are coming for you.
She could feel his strength shifting, his mental clarity going in and out. But he was there.
Stay away. This place is crawling with demons.
She looked at her little entourage. This was the first time she wasn’t alone. She’d always been alone, resilient is what she’d called herself. Her father was always there, but never understanding. Friends, though. Had she ever trusted anyone enough to call them a friend? Seconds passed before anyone moved. Even in this moment, she felt some relief.
Yeah. I think we knew that. We’re coming, Deo.
Aisha trusted them and closing her own eyes, she trusted her own magic for once. Threads of power called to her on the other side of the door. She couldn’t see everything, not entirely, but she could feel that it was there, intact and looping. A memory from the building in another life. Memories left trace energies everywhere, and it was just now she could see them. Memories of bad things, good things, and the mundane. She’d channeled something dark though from what she could tell. Hope that’s what they wanted.
“It’s working. I mean, I found trace energy from something violent. So be ready.”
Maddie squeezed her hand. “It’s a distraction. Perhaps the darker the better. Can you feel the dark energies on the other side of this door?”
Aisha nodded as her skin prickled and the hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand up.
Lilly did the strange light thing again against the door before. Only as the door creaked on its hinges was Aisha sure it was safe to look again.
Blinking several times, Aisha tried to wrap her head around what she was seeing. Creatures, some shapeless, others nearly human looking. One spun around and hissed, the eye sockets a soulless black. No. Not human at all.
Aisha looked at where a group of entities had gathered, and in the center played the show she’d projected. She looked away as the realization she’d conjured up looked like a murder.
The good thing was it indeed distracted a hoard of demons.
“Will they attack us?”
Aisha caught Maddie’s eyes.
“This is Lilly’s domain, not mine.”
A shiver chased up her spine, and she bit back the acidic burn coming up her throat.
Something dark, with a long tongue-looking thing appeared out of nowhere and hovered in front of her. She gasped and nearly screamed, except she was paralyzed. She couldn’t scream. She wanted to. Nothing would come out. Her eyes widened as the tongue lashed out, but instead of reaching her skin, it began to burn, and a horrible screeching filled the space. She tried to drop Maddie’s hand to cover her ears but couldn’t.
“You can’t let go. The spell won’t let you. The blood running through Lilly is the strongest defense we have. You don’t want to let go.”
It was then that she took a quick look around and realized that they weren’t being followed. Or well, they were, but not by the dragons.
“Where, where are your mates?”
Maddie shook her head. “I couldn’t tether Kal to me and realized the magic wouldn’t work on them. They are here for backup. Now, tell us which direction is Deo in?”
Aisha opened her mind, moving past the fact she’d nearly been a demon’s lunch. A few seconds in and she could feel his heartbeat.
“This way,” she said, and took off pulling the other two with her. Her eyes tried to play tricks on her, but she could see through the illusions the demons projected. She went straight where dead ends appeared and turned when the building disappeared. Until they cleared the last obstacle and saw a massive figure lying down. A dragon. He lay in the middle of the floor. His eyes nearly white.
Deo? Deo, answer me.
She watched for a sign of anything, until finally he blinked.
I’m here, my mate. I am here.
Aisha tried to run faster, but the dead weight of the other two slowed her.
Fine. Whatever.
They were almost there. She could almost touch him. She almost had him back, safe, where she could tell him she wanted him. No amount of money could replace what she had.
Looking over her shoulder she nearly screamed at the two women, but why were they moving so slowly, stopping as the other two women came to a halt.
What is that? she asked Deo instinctually. He always had the answer.
The large beast started to rise on hind legs, multiple legs from what Aisha could see. Yeah. This wasn’t normal.
She spoke out of the side of her mouth. “What do we do with that?”
No one said anything.
“Uh, I don’t know. Can you ask Deo if he can carry us, with you guiding him through your shared connection?”
Aisha wanted to panic but pushed the bubble of terror down. For now.
Deo? Can you carry us?
She
didn’t dare turn around, but a moment later his muzzle was against her palm.
Yes. As long as you are with me, I can do anything.
Her head slowly bobbed as Lilly slid back, pulling the other two with her.
Once they were next to Deo, they worked as a team to get on, except well they stopped at the sight of a woman.
Maddie and Lilly flashed a look to Aisha, but what the hell was she going to say.
“Just get on,” she yelled.
Maddie nearly slid off, but Aisha and Lilly pulled her up
Go.
Aisha didn’t really understand what she was doing until she did it. She guided Deo through the maze of illusions with something large snarling and growling at their heels.
I can’t fight it, he said to her.
There was nothing to say back. She didn’t want him to fight that. She wanted to be outside on the roof top away from whatever the hell that was.
She would need a few days at the very least to process what the hell just happened.
One more turn, she shared with him the last hall and he sped up.
Lilly screamed from the back as they neared the doorway. “Close your eyes.”
Aisha did as told, and now they were running blind into a stairwell that Deo wasn’t going to fit through as a dragon.
Shit.
Jump, he yelled into her head and she scanned it to the others.
As she did, Deo shifted, the unconscious woman dropping to the ground, and then Aisha dragged Maddie and Lilly into the hall only to lose Lilly as they dove through the door.
She closed her eyes as a bright white light shot out like lightning into the room.
“Climb,” Deo yelled.
“Lilly?” Aisha yelled, peeking against her better judgment.
Deo grabbed her and carried her over his shoulder as she suddenly saw Kal drop from the stairs above to grab Maddie and lastly Eadric skipping every stair on the way down.
Eadric will have her.
Aisha covered her ears as millions of screams rang out into the air. No reprieve came even on the roof. The only thing she could think was that it sounded like a million souls being burned alive.
Just as quickly as it started, the world went silent and Deo dropped to the tarred surface.
He gently put Aisha down before he collapsed.
“Deo? Deo, answer me.”
Nothing.
She tried again.
Deo? Don’t you die on me now.
No. This wasn’t happening. She’d just gotten him back. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t leave her.
“Don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.” She pounded on his shoulder, but nothing happened.
I love you. I need to tell you that. To tell you that I never traded you for money. I need to tell you I need you.
Nothing.
Aisha didn’t bother to notice who grabbed at her. Let a demon take her. She was numb. She’d been here before.
No. This was worse. So much worse.
She couldn’t even cry.
18
Deo grabbed his side as he attempted to sit up. That was going to leave a mark.
“Brother, it’s good to see those beautiful blue eyes of yours,” said Cy.
“Shit. You’re the one that saved me? Goddess, did you leave everything intact?”
His brother chuckled. “Ah, there are just some things, even I can’t fix. Like that sense of humor and the size of -“
“Deo,” Aisha screamed and nearly jumped into his lap.
He let out a woosh of air as she hit his side.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, pulling away and looking at the bandages.
Cy rolled his eyes behind her. “If one more hard-headed female joins this bunch, I’m getting a transfer far, far away.”
Deo laughed with Cy.
“Call if you need anything brother,” Cy said, as he left.
Deo heard him but was much too focused on his Aisha.
“I am fine, mate.”
He stroked her hair as she clung to his neck.
“I thought I lost you,” she said, a sob in her voice.
A few things he did know, one being how fucking amazing it was just to hold her again.
“I’m so sorry. I never traded you, or sold you, or whatever that guy said. He offered-”
“It’s okay, mate. I know.” He ran his hands up and down her back, loving every inch of her. He never wanted to be away from her again. There was nothing worse, and he truly understood this now. All other pain in the world couldn’t compare to thinking you’d lost your soulmate.
“You know?”
Pulling away, she sat up, the motion rubbing more than just some sensitive scrapes.
“Yes. At first, I didn’t. I believe fear demons may have been a part of it, but once I realized that I still wasn’t free to mate with another female, I knew that you hadn’t rejected me. I realized the emptiness I felt wasn’t that of rejection, but -”
She stopped him with a finger. Deo kissed the digit against his lips.
“Wait. Wait. Just wait. Mate with another female?”
His mouth quirked as visions filtered from her mind to him. What was the word he needed right now? Jealousy?
“Yes, my love. Mate. I was never meant to remain there, I was only requested to give my seed to another female. But I could not,” he said, watching her ears start to burn red.
Funny little mate.
“Just? You were just supposed to screw some woman? And then they would let you go?”
He eyed her. The images in her head confusing.
“Yes,” caution lacing his words. She grabbed his face between her hands.
“Then why didn’t you? You could have been back with me sooner? Without being injured.”
Deo studied her. Was she serious? This was not expected. Mated females were no more likely to share than their males would. He would have killed anyone who touched her.
“You would have me believe that it would not have bothered you if I had just screwed, as you called it, another female?”
She slapped his shoulder. Lucky for him it wasn’t hurt.
She was small in stature, curvy in all the right places, and damn if she wasn’t stronger than he gave her credit for.
“No, you ass. Of course I’d hate you. But,” she said, a frown forming and her eyes dimming.
Deo tried to read her thoughts.
Mate? Why do you frown?
He watched as a small droplet of water escaped her eyes. Brushing it away with a finger, he waited patiently for her. He thought sharing a connection would help him understand her, but he was wrong. Or he was wrong so far.
I want all of you; I don’t want to share you. And now that I know who the other woman is, well, it just sucks.
Deo adjusted himself on the bed in their infirmary. He wanted to get back to their room and kiss away the sadness.
“Mate. I could not leave her. It would not be right. Besides, as soon as she is healthy she will be taken back to her home.”
As he breathed Aisha’s scent in, his need for her grew. He’d been starved of his new mate for too long. Hours? A day? He really wasn’t sure. That place had been a labyrinth and time didn’t exist.
Deo had tried to remember everything that had happened, but it was disjointed in his own mind. He’d been in and out of sleep for a few hours, but he didn’t want to talk to anyone. He didn’t think he could fully comprehend what had happened.
Fucking demons. He’d been prepared to handle the consequences. He’d been able to use instinct to get him as far as they had, but that last creature. Well, he still wasn’t sure what it was as it had clawed his human body. He’d shifted much too late that time, and Deo blamed the demon energy.
Seeing her sadness, feeling it, he knew he shouldn’t mention that saving the female had been the biggest risk.
Aisha still hadn’t spoken. He tried to focus on her scent and controlling his need for her as the seconds ticked by. How could
he make her see that his love for her had never been in question? From the moment he saw her, he knew she was meant to be his.
“Aisha, that woman never had a chance, but she also didn’t deserve to die either.”
She nodded, it was at least some sign of life.
“Yeah. I know. I’m mad at myself. If you would have, you know, done that, it would have been my fault. I should have told you about creepy scientist guy sooner. Reality is, I was pretty much so desperate to tell you how I felt that I forgot about everything else. It’s like I was a love-struck teenager again.”
That made little sense to him, but the sentiment wasn’t lost on him either.
“Well, I appreciate that you did. I was growing less and less an honorable mate every time I saw you.” He gripped her hips, ignoring the burning in his side. It would heal. The ache between his legs, on the other hand, wasn’t going away. Not with her this close. The scent of her tantalizing him.
He smirked as he watched her eyes grow a little wider. “Don’t worry, mate. I would have ensured you said yes before I mated you properly, but I was growing more and more desperate. You are the most enticing female I have ever seen.”
A blush peeked out from under her shirt and climbed her neck. He enjoyed being able to make her squirm.
Leaning in, his mouth an inch from her ear, he whispered, “I wanted to taste you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Dipping his head, he kissed the crook of her neck. She shivered under his hands.
“I want to taste you now,” he continued to say.
Aisha couldn’t hide her thoughts from him, and a smile spread over his lips.
“But you’re hurt,” she said.
Yes, but that’s not what you are thinking.
She gasped.
Out of my head.
He pulled her closer.
I like the thoughts running through your mind.
Kissing along the pulse in her neck, along her jaw, he waited for her to turn her lips to his. Her thoughts were having a hard time arguing.
But, your side.
She pulled away and studied him. He didn’t like it when she scrutinized the situation. He knew this look and knew it would be a fight.
Dragon Wanted: A Dragon Shifter Fated Mates Novel (Space Dragons Seek Mates Book 3) Page 13